Handle for lawn mowers and the like



y 17, 1951 M. D. BURROWS ET AL 2,561,003

HANDLE FOR LAWN MOWERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jagene L .15 ayce 5 QWL m J y 17, 1951 M. D. BURROWS ET AL 2,561,008

HANDLE FOR LAWN MOWERS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1949 6 S m 6 0 5% 5M 5 mwW W WVWWM WVVVV VVVVVVWMM VVM W 0 /W Z 1+6 2 6 mm viz mm M a d e m 2 J r n 2 3 0 6 W W M, w z, w 7% Patented July 17, 1'95] UNlTEl) STATES 'ATENT OFFICE HANDLE FOR LAWN MOWERS AND THE LIKE Delaware Application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,743

1 4 Claims.

Our invention relates to an improvement in handles for lawn mowers and the like.

One purpose is to provide an improved lawn mower handle adapted for use with motor driven lawn mowers.

'Another purpose is to provide an improved handle structure and an associated control assembly for the motor and moving parts of a lawn mower.

Another purpose is to provide a lawn mower handle and control assembly which shall be simple, efiicient and strong.

Another purpose is to provide a control assembly which is readily operable by the user.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the handle with parts disassembled.

Figure 4 is a section on an enlarged scale on theline l-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 6-6 of Figure l; and

Figure 7 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line ll of Figure 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l generally indicates the chassis of a lawn mower. The chassis is shown as mounted on ground-engaging wheels 2. 3 indicates any suitable lawn mower cutting reel which may be driven, for example, through a sprocket 4, chain 5, and sprocket Son the shaft 1. The top of the chassis is cut away as at la to permit the passage of the sprocket chain 5. The shaft 1 is rotatively mounted on a bracket generally indicated as 8. This bracket is shown as including an upper plate 9 having a portion bent as at It) to receive a sleeve M. It extends upwardly as at IE to receive a control rod is, the purpose of which will later appear. The lower edge or portion of the plate 9 is adjustably gripped between clamp elements 4, the lower ends of which are bent as at IE to surround a shaft I6 which may be rotatably mounted on the lower side of the top of the chassis I. The chassis I is cut away as at It to permit movement or oscillation of the bracket structure thus formed about the center of the shaft It. The shaft 1 carries at one end the sprocket 6 and at the other end any suitable belt-engaging wheel !8 suitably channeled to receive a'belt is which passes about the drive pulley 23 of the motor structure generally indicated as 2! It will be understood that when the bracket is moved by the control rod [3 in a direction to tension the belt l9 then, when the motor is in operation, the belt l9 will rotate the shaft 1 and, through it, the cutter reel 3.

To provide an eflicient handle structure, we employ a bow 25 secured to the chassis l at its opposite ends as at 25. The bow 25 carries at its upper intermediate portion a plate 21 having curved portions 28 which surround the bow 25 and may be welded to it as at 29. The frame thus formed has curved side portions 3!] and an upwardly and forwardly inclined top extension 3| which receives a positioning rod 32 which may be adjustably secured by the opposite nuts 33, 34. The lower end 35 of the rod may be secured to the lower part of the motor 2|. The motor 2| is firmly secured to the chassis I by securing means which may'include, for example, the screws 36. The nuts 33 and 34 on the screw-treated portion 320. of the upper end of the rod 32 permit the bow 25 to be adjusted in relation to the engine and shaft to a desired upward and rearward angular projection. It will be understood that, when the device is shipped knocked down, the bow unit, as shown in Figure 3 is ready to be secured to adjacent portions of the device. For example, we illustrate a separable upper handle portion which includes side rods 48, 4|, which may, if desired, converge upwardly slightly. At the lower ends they are secured to a plate 42. The plates 21 and 42 are provided with suitable opposed and alignable apertures 27a and 42a through which may pass any suitable securing screws 43 which receive nuts 44 and locking members 45. Thus the handle structure may be quickly assembled, with the lower ends of the tubes 4! and 42 extending into and conforming to the side portions 39 of the plate 21. The upper ends of the tubes 40, 4!, may be connected by a crosstube 46 having upwardly and rearwardly inclined end portions 41, 43, which may carry handles 49 of any suitable material. Extending about the upper portions of the members 40, 4! and the intermediate cross-piece 46 is a top plate 50 having downwardly extending side flanges 5|, 52. The plate has an upper edge 53 which extends about and conforms closely to the member 46. The plate 50 may be Welded or otherwise secured to the tubular portions above described. The side flange 5| of the plate 50 has pivoted thereto as at 54a a lever 54 having an actuating portion 55 is moved into the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, and, if the motor is running, a drive is provided through to the cutter reel 3.

On the opposite flange 52is pivoted anysuitable lever Bil with its handle 6h The lever has-' secured thereto a control wire 63 which extends through any suitable fiexiblesheathlis the upper end of which is secured as by the clip 55 to the flange 52. It will be understood that we may em ploy the conventional Bowden wire extending to the mo tor 2! andserving as a throttle control or a controlfor varying and controlling the rate of-operationof themotor; for example by controlling its fuel supply fromthe fuel tank 25a. Since the: details of such engine or throttle control do i not of themselves form part' of the present invention, they are not shown herein.

It will-be realized that whereas we have describeda'nd' claimed a practical and operative. device; nevertheless many changes may. be'made in size, shape, number, and disposition of parts without departing fromvthe spirit of the invention,. andwe-therefore wish our description and drawings to be in a-broad'sense illustrative and diagrammatic rather than as limiting us to. our precise showing.

The'use and operation of the invention are as follows:

We: provide a' simple, efiicient and. compact handleand' control structure for motor driven lawnmowers and like devices which is compact and-strong; butwhich may nonetheless readily be shipped broken down and dismantled, and which, when assembled, provides a powerful-and efiicient handle. It is important, in shipping devices of thiskind, that the 'handle'be easily taken. down and that; also, it be readily andfirmly mounted in a Secure operating position. We

employ 'ahandle which breaks down into" two' majorxelements. There is, first, the assembly. A offEigure 3' whiclrincludes the bow 2'5 and its associated parts andthe assembly 3 of Fig-ureB whichiincludesthe upper part of the handleand the associated control members. The parts -may bei=quickly" and strongly" secured by inter-fitting and interposingthe. plates 2? and 42 with the lowerrends of-the tubes 49 andill entering the roundedor-partly tubular side portions 32 of'the plate 21; When so 1 assembled, the securing screws. 43 are effective to hold the parts firmly together in a'firmandsolid structure. The Bowdencwire is shipped secured to the upper unit 73 andysince it is a" flexible element, itslower end can readily be'secured to the unit. The control rod.-l3,,l3a isnalso shipped secured as a part of the unit'B. Since it is adjustable as to length, it

mayyreadilybe'adjusted, whenthe' handle has beensecured together, to the'fiange [2 of the bracket 8. Since .the connection between the rod 32 and the flange 3| of the plate 21 is also adjustable, it is easy to adjust the position or angle of the handle in relation to the motor and chassis. and to make a compensating adjustment of the length of the operating rod I3, I311. We prefer to weld-or permanently securethe plate 27 to the bow 25 and the plates 42 and 5B to the upper handle assembly B. In effect, we provide a strong strut system which, when the parts are in theposition shown in Figure 1, provides a firm andeffici'entandeasily adjusted handle and control structure for motor driven lawn mowers.

We'claim:

1. In a handle' structure for lawn mowers and the like-a bow portion having ends adapted to be secured to th'eoppo'site sides of the chassis of a lawn mower, and a-handle portion having tubular side elements, a plate secured to said bow portion and a plate secured to said handle portion, said plates being formed to abut and having therein matching apertures adapted to receive securing elements whereby; wh'en the-securing elements are-inserted, the bow portion and the handleportionconstitute a solid unit,.the plate on said bow portion having its edges formed to receive and partially surround said tubular side elements in pressure contact therewith at substantially all points on saidedges.

2. The structure of claim 1, characterized by andincluding a cross-piece at the top of said handle and secured to the upper ends of said tubular elements.

3. The structure. of'claim: 1, characterized by and including a cross-piece at the top of said handle portionand-securedto said tubular elements, and a plate secured to saidcross-piece and to the upper ends of saidtubular elements, said cross-piece having webs atits'opposite sideedges.

l. In a demountable handle andcontrol assembly for motor-driven lawn mowers, a bow portion having-ends adapted tobe secured to'the opposite sides of the chassis of a'lawn mower, an intermediate connection, adjustable as to length, adapted to provide an angular adjustment between the lawn mower and the handle structure,

extending angularly from theplane of-saidb'ow portion, a handleportion-adapted tobe removably secured to said bow portion; acontrolr'od adjustable. as. tc- 'length, and adaptedto be secured to an operating part of alawn mower, and an actuating lever mounted adjacentthe upper end of said handle portion, to which-the upper' end: of said control rod is secured.-

MILFORD'D. BURROWS.

EUGENE L. BOYCE;

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file I of this patent: 

